Macy’s is opening even earlier on Thanksgiving

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NEW YORK — There might not be time for dessert on Thanksgiving this year for bargain hunters.

Macy’s is kicking off its Black Friday sales at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, an hour earlier than the prior two years.

For shoppers who don’t want to rush their turkey dinner, they can still get in on the sales frenzy. Most Macy’s stores will stay open until 2 a.m. They will then close for four hours and reopen at 6 a.m. for Black Friday.

Macy’s said there is significant interest from customers looking to shop on Thanksgiving Day, and that it’s working to staff stores with associates who want to work on the holiday. Those who do work on Thanksgiving will get overtime pay, the company said in an email to CNNMoney.

Black Friday is a major shopping event for retailers, and opening time has been creeping up at Macy’s over the years.

In 2012, stores opened at midnight on Black Friday. In 2013, doors opened at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving. For the last two years, the start time moved to 6 p.m.

It’s been a tough year for the department store. In August, Macy’s announced plans to close 100 stores nationwide.

But not every retailer is feeling the Black Friday creep. Many stores have decided to stay closed to observe the holiday.

According to BestBlackFriday.com, more than 40 retailers, including Costco, T.J. Maxx and Lowe’s will be closed.

Earlier this month, Mall of America announced it will shut down its operations on the holiday, which allows its 1,200 employees to stay home with family. However, the individual stores in the mall can still choose to be open.